Fire extinguishing device



Sept. 25, 1962 A A. N. LANCIA 3,055,436 j FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVICE Filed July 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 25, 1962 A. N. LANCIA FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVICE ,NVENTOR Amina /I//A/o A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 27, 1959 WW, /Wygn ATTORNEY United States Patent Oiee Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,436 FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVICE Angelo Nino Lancia, Via Marconi 21, Scanzo, Italy Filed July 27, 1959, ser. No. 829,903 Claims priority, application Italy July 25, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 169-31) This invention relates to a re extinguisher device of the mechanical foam type.

Various types of mechanical foam fire extinguishers are known, wherein the foam is formed by a foam producing solution in which gas, usually air, is dispersed, incorporated in the foam, but not chemically prepared at the moment of employment. This gas is stored under pressure, compressed or mechanically sucked at the moment of forming the foam.

To the contrary in a chemical foam extinguisher, the gas, usually carbon dioxide, required for producing the foam is chemically obtained at the moment the extinguisher is employed, by means of a chemical reaction within `or externally of the foam producing solution.

In extinguishers, operating with mechanical foam, the gas may be stored in two ways:

(l) lf the gas is soluble in water (for instance CO2), it may be found dispersed under pressure in the foam generating solution and, freeing itself at the moment of generation of the foam, it becomes a part of the foam.

(2) The gas, whether soluble or not in the foam generating solution, may be stored in a container under pressure, connected to the extinguisher by means of a valve and pressure reducer. In this case the extinguisher must be provided with a safety valve against improper operation of the pressure reducer, because the extinguisher is operable at reduced pressure only.

The extinguisher of the present invention is concerned with mechanical foam and is characterized by the fact that it is so constructed that at the moment when dischange begins and throughout the discharging period, the foam generating solution and the relatively insoluble propelling gas contained in the solution are under the same pressure. The gas, usually air or nitrogen, is accumulated in such quantity and pressure as yto ensure the complete and energetic discharge of the solution, which discharges outwardly through an ejection nozzle of the type in which air is sucked from the outside with consequent production of the foam. With this extinguisher a valve is eliminated because ythe air load and closure are both provided by the same ejection nozzle.

A more simple and economic construction is thus obtained, securing, however, a reliable and eiiicient performance.

It is lfurther known that the foam to be applied for extinguishing fires is more active when it is ejected in the `form of a brush, that is, made into many fragments which create the `so called fractionated foam.

The advantages are remarkable and practically explained by the quicker ability to extinguish fire, by an improved capability of :the foam when applied to liquid fuels which have ignited and to extensive conflagrations, and by easier manipulation by an unskilled person with no experience in the handling of the extinguishers.

The present invention constitutes, however, a new solu-4 tion, and one object lof the invention has been attained by reducing to the minimum the loss of load during the parting and fractionatiug Stage of the foam-discharging spout of the extinguisher.

The reduction of load loss provides the following advantages:

(l) Improving `the throw or the length of the spout;

(2) Preserving the kinetic energy of the fluid stream in order to obtain a better fractioning;

(3) Obtaining a greater quant-ity of foam, on account of the fact that the air entering to produce a part of the foam is sucked from the atmosphere by the aspirating action of the flow of fluid, and by means of mechanical elements which may be considered as a practical application `of the known Venturi tube.

The three above considered advantages are responsible for real progress in the re extinguishing technique.

The object of the invention, contrary to the known types of extingniishers in which the object is obtained by impressing onto the stream of fluid a tangential component, is attained instead, by the direct parting of the iiuid of which the fluid stream is composed, said parting action being produced by surfaces `or passages in the form of sloping planes on which the longitudinal elements of foam change their directions.

The process consists in making the foam stream pass through a fractioning head applied to one end of the nozzle of the extinguisher, the fractioning head containing a plurality of fractioning passages, which subdivide the stream and make it diverge.

An axial `deviatory core member may eventually cooperate in `the guiding the fluid stream and contribute to increasing divergency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nozzle with the fractionating head to 4attain the results described above.

The device may be formed in various shapes and dimensions, such as it is shown in the figures by way of example `in the drawings, in which:

FIG. l `shows the extinguisher in working position;

FIG. 2 shows same in resting position and hanging to a wall;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the nozzle;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a gas charging connector;

FIG. 5 represents the longitudinal sectional view of an accessory for improving the formation of the foam and for modifying the shape of the stream;

FIG. 6 is a front view of `an extinguisher made of two elements to provide a device which is portable on the back;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the same extinguisher of FIG. 6 with a different arrangement for the connection of the nozzle.

FIG. 8 is an axial sectional view of a fractioning head piece -to be applied to the end of the nozzle, showing a truncated cone enlargement and, `on the outside end, a convex terminal plate incorporating channels that diverge toward the outside and converge towards the interior to a point siutated on the axis of the same head piece;

FIG. 9 is an axial sectional view showing a modified form of the front plate of the fractioning head piece, the plate being flat and crossed by holes which also converge to a point on the axis and towards the interior;

FIG. 10 shows a further modification of the lfront plate;

FIG. 11 is a front view of the fractioning head piece of FIG. 8;

FIGURES l2, 13 and 14 show a front view of other fractionating head plates.

FIG. l5 is an axial sectional View of a fractioning head piece in which the frontal plate is a wire net including a deviatory axial gland;

FIG. v16 is showing an axial sectional view of a fractioning head piece with telescopic removable parts for the purpose of modifying as desired the opening angle of the foam spout;

FIGURES 17 and 18 also depict in an axial sectional View a further embodiment of the fractioning head piece, with displaceable sleeve (for restricting the spout size) which in FIG. 17 is shown in the forward restricting position, and in FIG. 18 in the idle retracted position.

The =hand portable extinguisher, made as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a container 27 having approximatedly a three imperial gallon capacity, with an opening, provided with cap 26, through which the container is filled with Water, with foam generating solution and with some other ingredients as, for instance, antifx'eezing substances, corrosion protecting -substances etc. for a total capacity of 9 litres (1 imp. gallon and 6 pints approximately) which occupy the lower part 27', of the container, whilst the upper space 27, generally one third (but it may vary from a 10% to a 60%) is provided for the gas. This upper space 27" is crossed obliquely by a pipe 30, its two ends being welded to the walls of the container 27 in the annular zones 30 and 30 so as to constitute a tubular passage into which the nozzle 29 is fitted, having at its front end the hand Wheel 12 (FIG. 3) and including inside threading 8 adapted to receive the outside threaded section 8 of connector 28 carrying the auxiliary collector 28 (FIG. 4) provided for the introduction of gas under pressure.

The nozzle 29 comprises a body 10 `forming with the ovoid head 13, the passage 19. The ovoid head of nozzle 29 is longitudinally movable into the hollowed space 31 of the tubular piece 14, which includes a conical seat 14 on the upstream side which the head 13 is adapted to close. For obtaining this closing and opening movement, the tube 29 of the nozzle is provided with tap threading 29 for screwing engagement with the male threading 14" of the tubular piece 14. This piece 14, which is made with a certain strength because it has to provide the handle for grasping the extinguisher, is closed at its rear end by plug 15 secured thereto by screw threads 15' and holding in place the intervening gasket 16 and filter 18. The tube 14 incorporates a slanting cutoff 17, also tubular in shape, which extends through hole 17 (where it is welded to container 27) to the inside of said container 27, thus forming the dipping tube. The dipping tube crosses the container 27 obliquely and reaches almost to the bottom at the lowest level 18, when the extinguisher is in operative position to extrude the foam stream as represented in FIG. 1.

The end 9 of auxiliary collector 28, an end which is adapted to be introduced inside the nozzle 29, is somewhat flared to adapt itself to the orifice of piece 10 without obstructing passages 19.

The nozzle 29 is provided, immediately beyond the passages 19, with a crown of slots 20 for the passage of the air. The device represented in FIG. 5 has a function of generating the foam and consists of a rectangular strip of wire gauze 11 with close meshes which is twisted about its axis `so to assume an helicoid shape, and provided at one end with a flanged head piece 32.

This device of FIG. 5 is lintroduced axially into the nozzle 29.

For the charging operation of the extinguisher, the foam generating liquid is first introduced inside container 27 through the inlet opening 26, which is then closed with the cap and the auxiliary collector 28 (FIG. 4) is introduced inside the nozzle 29, by screwing its thread 8 on thread 8', until the end 9 of collector 2S makes a tight connection against the passages piece 10. Then gas is introduced at the desired pressure, after which handle wheel 12 is turned to a closed position, collector 28 is then removed and replaced by a device as represented in FIG. 5, which is made of close-mesh twisted Wire gauze 11 and by which a better mixing of the air in the foam is obtained upon discharging of the fluid stream.

The required pressure in the upper space 27" of the extinguisher may be obtained `for instance with 5 litres (1 gallon, l pint) of gas at 13 kg. per cm.2 (185 1b./ sq. in.).

The extinguisher is closed by turning hand wheel 12, until the head 13 of passages piece 10, preferably made in i plastic material (nylon, polyesters, polyvinyl, etc.) s tightly pushed against seat 14 of piece 14, thereby screwing threading 29 on threading 14.

The extinguisher is operated to discharge the foam by the reverse operation, that is by unscrewing the nozzle 29 by means of the hand wheel 12. The compressed gas contained in upper space 27" acts on the solution held in container 27 by forcing it towards the nozzle through the dipped tube 17, the tubular handle 14 housing filter 18 and thence through the small passages 19, which are arranged in a circle and axially converge; thus the foam is divided into various streams which by crossing each other cause the foam formation and the aspiration of air through the slots 20.

The same process of producing foam can be obtained with one single central passage, with or without a peripheral crown of holes or slots.

FIG. l shows the extinguisher in the Working position for the ejection of the spout when grasped by the handle 14: the baricentric position of the extinguisher is such as `to assure a position spontaneously `balanced in this way to make it easy for the operator to run towards the place to put on the conflagration. The tubular passage 30 assumes an inclination with respect to the axis of the container 27 so to be, during the operation of the extinguisher, almost parallel to the level of the liquid contained inside the extinguisher.

A remarkable feature in the new extinguisher is indicated by the best eiciency of the foam: with said charge, and by employing solutions to about 4% in weight of a good foam generator on the market, it is possible to obtain to 150 litres of foam (26.4 to 33 imp. gals), with an expansion ratio of 15 to 19 times the volume of water.

The foam possesses excellent lire extinguishing qualities; half of the foam forming solution deposits at the bottom of the fire after 20 to 30 minutes only.

Fire extinguishing appliances of `different capacity and shape, adequately suited for use in various circumstances, can be obtained by utilizing the same principles.

An extinguisher of this shape, is adapted very easily for a back portable extinguisher, as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, that is to be carried on the shoulder by a belted pack saddle 24: this type of extinguisher comprises the various elements of the portable type represented in FIGURES l and 2, With, however, the two tanks being connected one to the other and, with a single nozzle for ejecting the foam.

This nozzle can be alternately connected to the extinguisher, for instance, by means of a flexible tube xed at 23 (FIG. 6) or by means of a rigid or articulated nozzle 2S (FIG. 7).

Another arrangement which also achieves an obect of the presenti invention consists in a fixed plant hanging stationary upon a wall and constituted by a plurality of extinguishers of the type described, mutually connected to form a battery and provided with a single nozzle 29 connected to the battery by a tubing arrangement. The gas may be contained in one single shell of the battery.

Another alternate arrangement comprises an extinguisher mounted on a wheeled carrier, consisting of one or more containers 27 of the type described, but with a total capacity of from 30 litres to some thousands of litres. The wheeled carrier may be moved by hand (with a small capacity arrangement), or be taken in tow by a vehicle, or made automotive. In this latter case the equipment is carried on the structure of the automotive Vehicle itself.

The extinguisher, taking for granted all its other charactertistics, may be constructed by employing two containers: the first of them containing the solution at atmospheric pressure, with or without room for the gas; the second one containing the gas under pressure and separated from the first container simply by a simple two way cock valve, i.e. nota regulator nor a pressure reducer. If

the volumes of the two containers are properly selected, after the total and quick opening of the valve, it is possible to yduplicate the conditions of the single container Z7, that is, that the new arrangement does not require pressure reducers nor safety valves. The container Z7, for instance, has a volume of 10.5 cubic decimeters (65'5 cu. in approx.) of which -8 cu. dem. (5110 cu in. approx.) is taken up by the foam generating solution and the remaining volume contains air at atmospheric pressure. The container 27 is connected to the complementary shell of 2.5 cu. dem. (145 cu. in. approx.) capacity, and filled with gas at 25 kg./sq. cm. (370 p.s.i.g.) pressure.

On account of the opening of the intervening valve between the two containers a balancing of pressures takes place up to the value of 13 kg./sq. cm. (185 p.s.i.g. approx.) in a total volume of 5 cu. dem. (290 cu. in. approx.).

The invention provides the following advantages:

Absence of various mechanical parts :as: pressure reducers; a safety valve; `a separate closing valve for the extinguisher, because the same nozzle serves for this purpose.

Lower cost, less weight, improved handling, less chances for the extinguisher to be out of order, less hazard.

Possibility of employing air at relatively low pressure, and, therefore, making loading easier, even i-n places Where `supply is diicult.

Best efficiency of the foam generating solution from the quantity and quality point of view.

. The ejection of foam can be stopped and resumed several times, allowing the operators application to the re to be made at intervals and at various points.

The fractioning head piece as illustrated in FIG. 8 comprises the cylindrical part 31, which belongs to the nozzle, the truncated cone piece 32 and the frontal plate 33 provided with holes or slots 34. An internal body 35, constituting conveying gland, is placed in the neighborhood of the front plate 33.

In the example as illustrated in FIG. 8, the slots 34 act as channels and `slope so as to converge towards the point indicated at C which is situated up stream on the axis of duct 31. In this way the threads of foam go out in diverging directions and fractionate on their route into minute particles, which are 4uniformly distributed inside a cone, without resorting to -t-he known expedients which require rotating the spout in order to cause the foam to diverge due to centrifugal force.

Experiments have demonstrated that by impressing on the moving foam a rotary motion a significant losspin pressure results owing to the whirling movements in the spout and to the long distance that the foam necessarily follows due to the added tangential component.

The device according to the present invention, which does not require any rotation of the spout, therefore, offers a greater efficiency, which means that it provides, at uniform pressure, a greater throw of `foam than obtainable with conventional appliances.

The head piece, according to the present invention, moreover assures divergency not only by the effect of sloping of channels 34, but also by the effect produced by the axial deviatory nucleus 35, in which the walls slope axially and do not cause any rotary effect and, therefore, produce no whirling motion.

The perforated plate 33, instead of presenting the convex surface towards the outside as in FIG. 8, may be made Hat as in FIG. 9 at 33', through carrying sloping holes as in the preceding instance.

In FIG. 10 the holes 34 slope more than those in FIG. 8, and the cambering of the plate 33 is greater. This is due to the fact that in this case the holes 34 extend also to the central part of the plate without having the core 35.

FIG. 12 shows the front view of a perforated plate in |which the holes 36 are formed with little tubes placed close to each other.

In FIG. 13 the passages 37 follow ya sinuous path, that is undulated, though their sloping is maintained stationary or axially converging towards the upstream direction. The passages 37 yare obtained by directly contacting undulated or crimped rings 381 with intervening uncorrugated rings 39.

In FIG. 14 the passages are made also to slope, their section being rectangular (see 40 on the left) or semicircular (see 41 on the right). They can be distributed in the plate along concentric circumferences or along a spiral line.

In the fractioning head piece las illustrated in FIG. 15, the plate 34 is reduced to 1a simple diaphragm made of intermeshed wires as for instance in the case of a wire gauze; but taking into consideration the divergency of the wall 32 `and the presence of a ldeviatory nucleus 35, the group allows a diverging effect of the spout, nearly the same `as the one realized with fractioning head piece of FIG. 8. In this case the wire gauze 33 is held on a ring 42 which is screwed on the anged end 32 of the diverging cone 32. The wire gauze 33 carries a gland 35 in the centre position land is mounted by means of the axial screw 43 which ties the two pieces 35 `and 35 together with wire gauze 33 therebetween so that the gland hangs with its tapered end on the inside and has its flared side facing the wire gauze 33.

FIG. 16 represents an alternate system in which the conveying wall of the fractioning head piece does not practically show any substantial divergency; in this case, also the conveying gland 35 is not necessary.

Outside the tube 31 a tubular sleeve 44 is arranged with a telescope sliding movement on tube 31, which belongs to the nozzle and carries the plate 33 with the diverging channels 34. This arrangement permits the regulation of the divergence of the foam spout.

In fact, the tubular sleeve 44 is longitudinally guided on the tube 31 by means of at least one slot 45' and one stud 46 running inside the slot. It is evident that by the reciprocal regulation of the position of sleeve 44- with respect to the tube 31, particularly the length of the sleeve 44 projecting ahead of the perforated plate 33, it is possible to increase or to decrease the `divergency of the foam spout.

Another alternate system for narrowing the spreading of the spout is represented in FIGURES 17 and 18, wherein a exible sleeve 47 is forced under tension onto the terminal zone 32. and made axially `displaceable, said displacements being made possible by means of the inside projecting ring 47 and of one or more the helicoidal grooves 48, of zone 32.

As illustrated in FIG. 17, when the sleeve 47 has its `anchorage in the outer groove 48, its orifice 47 by reason of the elasticity, is substantially restricted, so to form a tapered, truncated cone outlet, which extends parallel to a parallel maker of the foam spout. If the sleeve instead is pulled back so to find its anchorage in the successive grooves 48, the outlet oriiice 4 is forced to gradually modify its size becoming larger and larger, and completely disappears, las shown in FIG. 18, when sleeve is anchored in the last upstream groove. Of course, what has been described and illustrated in the drawings are, by way of example, the preferred system of carrying out the invention `and are not intended to limit in any way the invention, and obviously all modiiications which do not concern the substance of the invention, are to be considered as belonging to the field of solutions covered by the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A re extinguisher comprising a container adapted to hold a foam generating solution in the lower portion thereof and a gas under pressure in the upper portion thereof, tubular means extending from the inside lower por-tion of said container through said container to the central portion of the outside of the container and thence through a passage which is closed to the inside of the 7 container and is positioned in the upper portion of said container whereby the central portion of said tubular means acts as a handle for the container, said tubular means having openings at the lower end and at the upper end to provide a conduit for the foam generating solution in said container.

2. A fire extinguisher as claimed in claim 1 wherein said portion of the tubular means which extends through the passage in the upper end comprises a first tube portion section and a second tube section, said first tube section being threadedly connected to a second tube section, an ovoid valve positioned within the first and second tube sections adjacent the region where these sections are connected, said ovoid valve having an approximate hemispheric section connected to an approximate frustoconical section, said valve being positioned in said first section so that said hemispheric section extends toward said second tube section, a valve seat for said ball Valve at the end of said second tube section, means within the connecting end of the first tube section forming elongated convergent passages for the movement of liquid therein with the frustoconical section of said ovoid valve, the threaded connection of the first and second tube sections being long enough to provide an open passage for liquid adjacent one end of the connection 'and to force the spherical section of said valve against said valve seat adjacent the other end of said connection, manually operatable means adjacent the end of the first tube section for rotating the first tube section with respect to the second tube section, whereby the passage can be sealed and opened by rotating the rst tube section with respect to the second tube section, said first tube section comprising openings to admit air for mixing with liquid passing through the convergent passages of the valve adjacent the discharge end of said convergent passages.

3. In a foam type of fire extinguisher which comprises a container and tubular means extending from the container to convey the foam to the fire, the improved type of tubular means comprising a first tube section and a second tube section, said first tube section being threadedly connected to a second tube section, lan ovoid valve positioned within the first and second tube sections adjacent the region where these sections are connected said ovoid valve having an approximate hemispheric section connected to an approximate frustoconical section, said hemispheric valve being positioned in said first section so that said hemispheric section extends toward said second tube section, a valve seat for said ball valve at the end of said second tube section, means within the connecting end of the first tube section forming elongated convergent passages for the movement of liquid therein with the frustoconical section of said ovoid valve,

the threaded connection of the first and second tube sections being 4long enough to provide an open passage for liquid adjacent one end of the connection and to force the valve against said valve seat adjacent the other end of said connection, whereby the passage can be sealed and opened by rotating the first tube section with respect `to the second tube section, said first tube section comprising openings to `admit air for mixing with liquid passing through the convergent passages of the Valve adjacent the discharge end of said convergent passages.

4. A fire extinguisher as claimed in claim 3 in which said first tube section comprises internal threads at the outer end thereof, an auxiliary tube adapted to fit inside the first tube section with a first end thereof shaped to form closed curve line contact with the outer end of said means which forms the convergent passages with said valve with Ithe discharge end of said passages within the closed curve contact and thereby close ofi communication between said passages and the openings that admit air of said first tube section, the other end of the auxiliary tube extending beyond the outer end of the first tube section, shoulder means on the auxiliary tube adjacent the outer end thereof, Iand a threaded hollow cap adapted -to fit the internal threads of the first tube section and having a sleeve portion adapted to bear against said shoulder of the auxiliary tube to hold the latter tightly against the means which forms the convergent passages with said valve of the first tube section, the outer end of said auxiliary tube comprising a connection for connecting to a gas supply tube to provide for charging said container.

5. The fire extinguisher as claimed in claim 3 comprising a nozzle including a transverse plate containing a multiplicity of diverging orifices therein, said nozzle including means to attach it to said first tube section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 854,641 Haley May 21, 1907 1,622,831 Kirkegaard Mar. 29, 1927 2,138,133 Betzler Nov. 29', 1938 2,478,998 Boyd et al. Aug. 16, 1949 2,556,239 Tuve et al. June 12, 1951 2,580,419 Griggs Jan. 1, 1952 2,708,482 Nurkiewicz May 17, 1955 2,774,583 Haftke Dec. 18, 1956 2,837,323 Goodrie June 3, 1958 2,941,729 Goodrie June 21, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 314,975 Italy Feb. 12, 1934 

